Bail for railroads



' G. s. AVERY.

Railroad Rails.

Patented Sent. 13. 1859.

UNITE STTES PATENT GFFICE.

GEORGE S. AVERY, OF CROSS RIVER. NEW' YORK.

RAIL FOR RAILROAIDS.

Speeification of Letters Patent No. 25,376, dated September 13, 18 59.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE S. AVERY, of Cross River, in the town of Lewisboro, in the county of WVestchester and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Mode or Plan of Constructing Railroad Iron Bars or Rails; and I do declare the following is a full and exact description thereof.

The nature of my invention consists of an improvement in railroad iron bars or rails, by the following devices viz: the offsetting or bending one end of the rails, and lapping the end of the next rail along side of it as far as it is ofiset; and riveting or bolting the two ends together; with or without a key of wood or iron in the open space between the rails where they are lapped, thus forming an offset lap joint; and a flange or projection on the bottom of the rails, which may be used or not as the case may require, thus forming a railroad iron bar or rail with lap joints of greater strength and durability than such as are generally used for that purpose.

To enable others skilled in the art of constructing railroad iron bars or rails to make and use my invention I proceed to describe its construction and operation.

I construct my railroad iron bars or rails in the (usual) form of an inverted T or thereabout, with or without a flange or projection on the bottom or base of the rails, as shown by Figures 1, 2 and 3, on the accompanying drawings: I offset or bend horizontally one foot more or less, of one end of the rails. The breadth or thereabout of the head of the rails, and cut off the inside flange or base of the rails perpendicular or thereabout with the edge of the head of the railsas far as the offset extends, as shown by Figs. 4 and 5 in the accompanying drawings. The other end of the rails I make straight with the main part of the rail, and cut off the outside flange or base of the rail perpendicular or thereabout with the edge of the head of the rail, as far as the rail is to lap against the offset in the next rail to it, as shown by Figs. 6 and 7 in the accompanying drawings. I punch one or more holes horizontally through the neck of the rails at both ends wherethey lap against each other, for the purpose of riveting or bolting them together. The flange or projection on the bottom of the rails, if used I make from 1}; to inch thick and from g to 1 inch deep. The key if used I make of the form of the space bearing of the rails at the joints, without the aid of chairs, and to keep the bearing part of the wheels of the locomotives and cars upon one rail until they are fairly and securely upon the next rail; and the key is for the purpose of strengthening the rails at the joints in a vertical direction, and the flange or projection on the bottom of the rails is to prevent them from slipping sidewise by any lateral pressure.

In manufacturing my improved rail, the metal is rolled in the ordinary way and afterward heated and placed in a press adapted to bend or make the crank. The cost of cranking will be about two dollars per ton.

The advantage gained by oifsetting the end of the rail in the manner described in my application is 1st, that nearly the full strength of each rail is retained at the joint; thus when they are lapped, it gives nearly double the strength at the joint, in a vertical direction, that any other plan gives. 2nd, that when the rails are lapped together, it gives nearly double the width of bearing on the ties at the joint that any other rail does, without the aid of chairs; thus giving a uniform bearing as regards elasticity, to the track; which is an important item in the durability of a rail-road track. Third, that it gives an angular joint where the rail meets the offset, which prevents the wheels jumping or j olting when the rails contract and leave an open joint. Fourth, that the extra width of bearing of the rail at the joints compensate for the break in the rails, thus keeping the joints up and thereby insuring a more uniform and even surface to the track, the extra width at the joint also gives more friction on the ties at the joints and less liability to slip by a lateral pressure of the wheels. Fifth, that it preserves the continuity of the track at the joints without impairing its strength, but on the contrary greatly increasing its strength over any other lap joint.

I do not claim uniting rails by means of a lap or scarf joint as exhibited in the rejected rails of T. B. Smith, 1856, T, D. Burke, 1857, and others, but- What I claim as my invention and desire tween them at the lap, and riveting or boltto secure by Letters Patent of the United 1 ing them together, substantially as and for States, is the purpose herein described.

An improvement in railroad iron bars or GEORGE S. AVERY. 5 rails, by an offset or bend made in one end Vitnesses:

of the rails, and the lapping on of the other A. B. WHrrLooK,

end of the rails, and inserting a key be- V. H. VVHITLooK. 

